


High School Sweethearts

by supreme_genius



Category: Grimm (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, M/M, Sexual Content
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-11-05
Updated: 2012-11-09
Packaged: 2017-11-18 01:55:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 11,392
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/555595
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/supreme_genius/pseuds/supreme_genius
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>High school AU fic</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. It All Started with a Watch

**Author's Note:**

> Sadly, I don't own Grimm.  
> I make no monetary gain from this fic.
> 
> Beta'd by my wonderful Bree.
> 
> Rating will go up for later parts.

Nick’s leaning up against his locker, frowning at the mangled piece he used to call his watch; it was his last gift from his father and now it was destroyed.

          “I can fix that.”

          “Huh?” Nick looks up at the taller guy standing next to him. He’s wearing a flannel shirt over a grey t-shirt, dark jeans, and boots. His hair’s a bit shaggy and it has that messy look that he probably actually spent a decent amount of time trying to perfect. _Kind of hot if you’re into that kind of look._ “Oh. Hey. You’re, uh, in my study hall, right?”

          “And literature, yeah. That’s me. Name’s Monroe.”

          Monroe gives the kid a once-over. He’s wearing a beat-up pair of Converse, dark jeans with tears at the knees, a Stones shirt, and a leather jacket. His hair looks like he just rolled out of bed. He smells good, though; like leather, coffee, and aloe vera.

          “Nick.”

          “I really can fix that.” He nods to the watch. “Got all the parts at my place.”

          “You’re always reading books on clocks during study hall. Yeah, okay.” He hands the watch to Monroe, who tucks it away safely in his bag.

          “It’ll probably take me a couple days.”

          “No problem. Just happy it’s fixable.” Nick smiles.

          The bell rings and Monroe stands there a bit awkwardly. “I gotta get to class; if I’m late again Perkins will have my head.”

          “Yeah, course. See you, uh, tomorrow.”

          Nick gives a quick wave and Monroe nods as he walks off. Nick watches him; he likes the way Monroe’s jeans hug his hips as he walks. Apparently he _is_ into that kind of look.

XXX

          Nick’s head is ducked down, attention belonging to his notebook. Monroe slides into the seat next to him, looking over his shoulder. Nick’s head pops up and he smiles.

          “Hey, Monroe.”

          “Hey. Having trouble?” He asks, already knowing the answer.

          “Yeah. It’s this paper. I just…I am just not a writer.”

          “Let me see what you’ve got.”

          Nick hands his notebook to Monroe and sits there nervously while he reads it over. Monroe makes little ‘hmm’ noises every so often. He looks away only long enough to find a pen, then makes a few notations on the page. Nick gets a little sidetracked watching him.

          “Alright. I made a couple notes, I hope you don’t mind. Just small stuff, a few ideas. What you’ve got now is good, but I think it could be better.” Monroe looks at Nick, nervousness in his eyes. “I mean that in a good way…”

          “It’s okay. I’ll take any and all help. Trust me, I won’t take any offense.” Nick smiles. “So, how’s your paper coming along?”

          “Not bad.”

          “Oh please. I bet it’s fantastic.”

          Monroe’s cheeks redden, just a bit, and he rolls his eyes. He shrugs and pulls out his notebook, sliding it over to Nick.

          Nick reads over the words carefully, paying attention to every detail. His eyes grow wider as he reads on. He flips to the last page then looks up at Monroe with puppy-dog eyes.

          “That’s it?”

          “What?”

          “I want more!”

          “You’re just being nice so that you get your watch back.”

          This time Nick is the one rolling his eyes. “You’ll give it back.” He flashes a smug smile. “But seriously, man, this is really good. I’m jealous. Please tell me you want to be a writer.”

          Monroe shrugs. “Yeah, maybe. I do really like clocks though. I’m pretty handy when it comes to fixing ‘em. Maybe I’d write on the side.” He fiddles with the hem of his shirt.

          “Well, I think you’d make a hell of a writer.”

          “So what about you? What’re you gonna do when you get out of this place?”

          Nick sighs, unsure. “I don’t really know. Been thinking about the police academy…but I’m not sure I’m really made for that.”

          “You got any hobbies? People make careers out of hobbies all the time.”

          “Mostly I draw, paint…”

          Monroe’s brows furrow. “Wait a minute…Nick _Burkhardt_ , right? You’re the one who painted that mural in the lobby, aren’t you?”

          Nick nods, a blush working its way to his cheeks.

          “Dude. If you don’t go into art I’m never talking to you again.”

          “Well then, I guess I should start looking at art schools.”

          Monroe decides, right then and there, that he and Nick were meant to be friends.

XXX

          Nick’s taken to sitting next to Monroe during their literature class; Monroe won’t admit it, but he’s thrilled…even though he’s finding himself more distracted than ever.

          Nick’s tapping his fingers on the desk, nervously awaiting the return of his paper. Monroe’s doodling in the margin of his notebook. He looks up and notices Nick’s slight panic.

          “Dude, what’re you worried about?”

          “I’m just tired of Cs and Ds. My aunt’s on my back about my grades.”

          “Nick…” He’s staring at the teacher, fingers still tapping away. “Nick.” Monroe puts his hand on top of Nick’s, stopping his incessant tapping. “Chill.”

          Their teacher approaches them and hands Monroe his paper and smiles. “As always, Monroe, wonderful paper. And Nick…” She hands him his paper but he’s too afraid to look. “…I was pleasantly surprised. Whatever you’re doing, keep it up.” She smiles at him and walks back to the front of the room.

          “Nick! Look!” Monroe’s voice is laced with excitement.

          Nick peaks at the paper and his jaw practically drops to the floor. “Holy shit…Monroe! I got an A!”

          “See? You were all worried for nothing.”

          “Thanks, for the help with it.”

          Monroe waves him off.

          “Seriously, man, I just took all your suggestions and incorporated them into my paper. I owe you!” He pauses. “What’re you doing tonight?”

          “Uh…going home, finishing your watch, making some salad, and watching X-Files reruns.”

          “No you’re not.”

          “What?”

          “You’re coming over and I’m getting us pizza. What toppings do you like?”

          “Uh…”

          “Pepperoni? Sausage? Meat lovers?”

          “Actually, veggie lovers.”

          “Can we skip the mushrooms?”

          Monroe smiles. “Yeah.”


	2. You Wanna Watch X-Files?

Monroe pulls up to the address Nick gave him; it’s an apartment complex that isn’t too far from his own. It’s a bit nicer, though. He makes his way up to 2B and knocks on the door.

          Nick’s heart flutters when he hears the knock; he knows it’s Monroe. What he doesn’t know is why his heart is beating a million times a minute or why his palms are all sweaty.

          He opens the door and greets Monroe with a smile. “Hey.”

          “Hey.”

          Nick steps aside, letting Monroe inside. It’s awkward, neither of them really know what to do. Eventually Nick invites Monroe into the living room and grabs them both a soda. They sit on the sofa and soon start to relax as they fall into conversation.

          “Still can’t believe I got an A.”

          “It wasn’t that hard, was it?”

          “I guess not…well, once you helped it wasn’t that hard.”

          Monroe smiles and sips his sprite. “Oh, I’ve got your watch.” He pulls the piece from his bag and hands it to Nick.

          “Wow. Looks good as new! How much do I owe you?”

          “What? Nothing.” Monroe waves him off.

          “You fixed my watch and helped me with my paper. Dude, I owe you.”

          “Wasn’t there a promise of pizza?”

          “Oh, right. Yeah.” Nick grabs the phone and orders.

          “So…”

          “You wanna see my room?”

          “Uh, don’t you think your aunt’s gonna be home soon…”

          Nick gives Monroe a light punch to the arm. “I didn’t mean it like that.” He gets up and starts towards his room. “Besides, she doesn’t come home much. I think we’d be safe.”

          Monroe frowns – at the first statement – and gets up to follows Nick. When he walks in, Nick’s laying on his unmade bed, smiling.

          “Thought you didn’t mean it like that.” Monroe folds his arms over his chest.

          Nick just rolls his eyes as he shoves a sketch book at Monroe. “Thought maybe you’d, uh, wanna see what I’ve been working on. The page with the bookmark.”

          Monroe flops down next to him, taking the sketchbook and flipping through it. His eyes widen and his jaw drops when he sees the sketch. He doesn’t quite know what to say, so he just goes with “Wow.”

          “You don’t like it do you?”

          “No, no. It’s fantastic…amazing…really accurate…” He turns back to Nick and smiles. “I’m…flattered…” He looks back to the sketch that bears a striking resemblance to him.

          “I was hoping you’d like it…was hoping you wouldn’t think it was creepy.”

          “Nah, I like it. Love it.”

          “I was thinking, maybe you could mod – ”Nick was cut off by a knock on the door. “Must be the pizza.”

          The two walk back out into the living room, Nick continuing to the door to retrieve the pizza. He meets Monroe back in the kitchen. They get plates and chips and another drink then return to the sofa, pizza in hand. They sit closer this time. Nick flips back to The X-Files and they both become engulfed in the television until a commercial comes along.

          “You’re a closet nerd, aren’t you?” Monroe grins. “You watch X-Files, I saw the comics tucked away on your bookshelf, you made no effort to hide the Batman action figures…”

          “Yeah.” He nods. “But the only reason I started watching X-Files was because of David Duchovny.”

          “Oh.” Monroe shrugs. “So, favorite Batman?”

          “Michael Keaton.”

          “Hmm…would’ve guessed Clooney.”

          Nick glares at him.

          Monroe smiles. “I’m kidding, dude.”

          “Yeah, yeah. So you like Batman?”

          “Big time; my favorite superhero, DC or otherwise.”

          “Obviously you like X-Files.”

          “Yep…for the storylines…though Duchovny does add to the experience.”

          They both laugh until the commercials end, then drool over their common crush. By the time the pizza’s gone, they’re leaning against each other, half asleep. Neither of them mind; Nick’s glad to have someone there and Monroe’s just glad that there’s someone who actually _wants_ to be around him.

XXX

          Monroe’s the first one to wake up; it surprises him that Nick’s curled up against his side, but it makes him smile. It’s quiet; they are the only ones there. Briefly Monroe wonders when Nick’s aunt would come home. The sun starts to seep through the blinds making him squint.

          Nick wakes up and doesn’t seem to notice – or maybe it’s that he just doesn’t seem to care – that he’s pretty much cuddling with Monroe. He’s just kind of glad to not wake up to an empty apartment.

          “I think there’s milk if you want some breakfast; should still be some Cap’n Crunch.”

          “Actually, a shower’d be nice.”

          “It’s all yours…don’t think I’d have any clothes that would fit you…you’re kinda tall.”

          “It’s okay, got a bag out in my car.”

          Nick stares at him.

          “In case I ever get stuck somewhere…”

          “Mhm…”

          Monroe rolls his eyes before getting up and running down to his car to fetch his bag. It really was for emergencies; you never know when you’ll need fresh pants.

          He takes his time in the shower, letting the hot water ease his sore muscles. Sofas were _not_ made for sleeping on. When he gets out he realizes that he smells like Nick. _Weird_.

          Nick’s slumped over on the sofa, half asleep, when Monroe comes out of the bathroom. He looks up, eyeing Monroe. His jeans are lighter, faded, and he’s wearing a navy blue shirt under the same flannel. Yeah, Nick really liked that flannel.

          “Let’s go get pancakes.”

 


	3. Pancakes

They sit in a booth in the back of the diner, away from the crying babies and the smelly truck drivers. They chat about Batman and comics, art and literature. Monroe sips his coffee as Nick chugs his orange juice, waving the waitress over and asking for another, which he gets when she brings their pancakes; Monroe’s are blueberry, Nick’s are chocolate chip.

          “So…you’re aunt doesn’t come home much, does she?”

          “Nope. Sometimes it’s nice, though. It’s quite; I can concentrate on my art. I can eat pizza. I can have _friends_ over.”

          “You don’t get lonely?”

          “I used to.” Nick looks up and smiles. “Not anymore.” He takes another bite. “So, what about you?”

          “I live in an apartment, down the street from yours actually, with my Oma.”

          Nick nods, not really sure what to say. He would feel too nosy if he asked about Monroe’s parents. If Monroe wants him to know, he’ll tell him; Nick’s okay with that because he knows that Monroe won’t ask about his own parents.

Nick offers to pay when the check comes, but Monroe insists on paying for half. Monroe holds the door open for Nick on the way out, making his cheeks redden a bit. They walk down the street, towards Nick’s place, but neither one really wants to head back. They take their time, enjoying each other and the fresh autumn air.

“There’s a, uh, pumpkin festival downtown…I don’t know if you have plans today, but if you don’t…would you wanna go with me?” Nick asks, looking down at his shoes.

“Yeah. I was actually thinking about asking you to go. You beat me to it.”

Nick looks up and smiles. They walk back to his place and get Monroe’s car; it's just this side of too chilly to walk all the way downtown. It’s a quick drive and they luck out with an exceptionally close parking spot.

They head straight to the pumpkin patch first, filling a little cart with pumpkins and gourds of all sizes. After a quick trip back to Monroe’s car to drop off their pumpkins, they wander around the other stands; cotton candy, caramel apples, Indian corn, and a plethora Halloween crafts. They make their way over to where the game booths are and Nick boasts about being a sure shot.

“Prove it, Burkhardt.” Monroe gestures to the shooting gallery with the cap guns and the little cards with the stars, where you have to shoot out the middle.

And prove it he does. “Told you.”

“Damn. I’m impressed.” Monroe picks his jaw up off the floor.

The guy at the booth tells Nick to pick a prize; he picks the stuffed wolf. “He’s kinda cute!”

“Yeah, he’ll look great next to Batman,” Monroe teases.

They spend the rest of the day walking around the festival, eating fair food, showing each other up at different games, and even doing a few crafts. They finally walk through Nick’s door around five-thirty, wondering where the day went.

Nick flops down on the sofa. “That was fun.”

Monroe sits next to him, a little closer than before. “Yeah it was. I love Oma to death, but after an hour she’s usually ready to go. She never wants to eat the food or anything.”

“Least you’ve had someone to go with. I usually go alone… _if_ I go.”

“Well, you and I are going together from now on! No excuses! It’ll be a tradition.”

Nick smiles a big, toothy smile. Monroe has no idea what that means to Nick and how much he’s going to be looking forward to it.

“I’m gonna hold you to that.”

Monroe smiles, but it soon fades and he sighs.

“What’s wrong?”

“You never asked why I live with my Oma.”

“Mostly because I didn’t want you to ask about why I live with my aunt.”

Monroe nods.

“So why do you live with your Oma?”

“You don’t mean that.”

“No really, why?”

“When I was fifteen, I got legally emancipated from my parents. My dad…well, he wasn’t the greatest, but he tried. He could get really angry some nights, when he’d been drinking. But he always provided for us. He had a heart attack when I was thirteen and he died. My mom got really moody after that. I was practically living by myself then, did my laundry, did the cooking and the shopping. She remarried a year or so later. He’s a total dick; he wanted to send me to military school. I started staying with Oma and finally we got a lawyer and I became legally emancipated. I’ve lived with her ever since. She’s great. She and one of her lady friends from the senior center went to Bermuda this week.”

Nick hesitantly reaches out and squeezes Monroe’s forearm. He really didn’t know what to say. He’s trying to prepare himself because he knows Monroe is probably going to ask about his parents. Monroe opens his mouth, but doesn’t say anything.

“You can ask,” Nick says, his hand still on Monroe’s arm.

“Why do you live with your aunt?” Monroe asks, voice soft, quiet.

“When I was twelve, my parents died in a car accident.”

“Oh. Wow.” Monroe gently wiggles his arm from Nick’s grip and grabs his hand, giving it a comforting squeeze.

“I don’t really remember all that much. Marie used to be home a lot more. When I was about fourteen or fifteen she started traveling. First she just left me home for a day…then two…then a weekend…a week…once she was gone for three weeks. Fridge and cabinets are always stocked. She leaves some cash for pizza and emergencies. She never wanted kids.” He squeezes Monroe’s hand. “Sometimes I think she resents me a little. I know she left someone when she came to take care of me.”

“Well, if it counts for anything, I can’t think of anyone better to spend my time with.” Monroe smiles a little and squeezes Nick’s hand.

Neither of them says anything after that, not for a while. Nick still keeps his fingers laced with Monroe’s; neither one minds. Before they know it, the sun’s starting to go down. Monroe’s the first to notice, the first to break the silence.

“Ugh, I guess I should head home.” He doesn’t want to.

“You could stay.”

“I don’t have any clean clothes.”

Nick just nods, a disappointed look painted on his face.

“I could go home…and you could come with me.”

Monroe reads through a comic or two while Nick shoves a few things in a duffle bag. When they pull up to Monroe’s building, Nick’s surprised at how close they live to each other. He decides they’re going to be spending a lot more time together.

 


	4. Dinner for Two

Monroe’s place is cozy; filled with warm colors, handmade quilts, and clocks. The sofa and the two chairs are all mismatched and bookshelf is overflowing. Nick likes it; it feels homey. Briefly, he wonders what Monroe’s room looks like.

“You want something to drink? Soda, juice, water?”

“Yeah.” Nick follows Monroe into the kitchen, smiling at the open cook book on the counter. “You cook?”

“Yeah. I made lasagna the other night. Pretty good.”

“Maybe you could teach me a few recipes?”

Monroe scrunches up his face. “You don’t know how to cook?”

Nick just shakes his head. “Well, not much more than pasta or grilled cheese sandwiches.” He frowns, looking down at the floor, one hand reaching up to push a piece of hair from his face. “Never had anyone to teach me.”

“Well, I’d be more than happy to teach you! Maybe like once a week or something you can come over – or I can go to your place – and we can make dinner together?”

“Yeah, I’d like that.”

They spend a quiet night on the sofa, eating left-over lasagna, and enjoying each other’s company. Monroe does a bit of writing while Nick draws. Monroe even lets Nick read some of his writing. Nick laughs at Monroe when he tries to draw.

They end up in Monroe’s room, sprawled out on his bed, talking about comics and how much better Batman is compared to Superman. They laugh and Monroe’s face lights up. Then Nick looks at him with those big grey eyes and smiles. In a split second, they’re both overwhelmed with their feelings. Monroe had just been trying to help out when he offered to fix Nick’s watch and when he helped with Nick’s paper. Nick had just been looking for a friend – and offering some thanks – when he invited Monroe over for pizza. Now, both of them wanted more.

Monroe rolls onto his side and leans closer. Nick leans, too, their faces mere inches apart. Nick’s heart is beating so fast it feels like it’s going to burst through his chest. He wants to kiss Monroe, he really does. But he can’t, not yet. He turns his head, denying Monroe his lips, and sighs.

“I’m sorry.” Monroe pulls away, his lips bending into a frown.

“No, no. It’s not you, Monroe, I promise. I want to…I really do…but…do you think we’re moving too fast? I mean, we’ve only been hanging out for a week. I really like you, but I want to get to know you. I don’t want us to rush and mess things up. I’m sorry.”

Monroe nods, not really sure what to say. He thinks for a minute. “You’re right.” He rubs his hands over his face.

“Maybe I should just go home.” Nick stands and heads back out into the living room.

Monroe wants to reach out to him, pull him back, hold onto him and never let go. But if Nick doesn’t want to stay, he can’t make him. Reluctantly, he gets up and follows Nick.

“Do you want a ride?”

“No, I’ll walk.”

“Dude, it’s dark out.”

“I could use the fresh air.” Neither of them makes eye contact with the other. “Besides, there are street lights the entire way.” He lets himself out and makes his way home.

Monroe leans against the wall, head back, eyes closed. He could kick himself in the ass. _Why did I have to do that?_ He’s not sure how long he’s been standing there by the time he moves. He plops down on the sofa, grabbing his notebook and pen, and starts writing.

Nick makes it home quickly, just as it starts raining. He takes his things out of his bag and returns them to their drawers. He flops down on the bed and kicks off his shoes. He tries to sleep but all he can think about is Monroe and what it would’ve been like to kiss him. _I am such an idiot_. He rolls onto his side, eyes settling on the stuffed wolf he won. He gets up, grabs it, and crawls back into bed. The sound of the rain calms his nerves, just a bit, enough for him to drift to sleep.

By the time Monroe sets his pen down, his eyes are burning. He looks at the clock and groans; it’s just after three in the morning. He gets up and walks into his room, heading to bed, but stops at the threshold. That bed. He turns and heads back to the sofa.

It’s the worst night of sleep he’s had in a long time. He tosses and turns and eventually falls on the floor. _Damn it_. He just sits there, back against the sofa, head in his hands.

XXX

Monroe’s sitting in the library, head down on an open book. Nick quietly sits down next to him and takes out his sketch pad. His pencil moves across the paper with so much ease. He adds in a few finishing details then decides he should wake up Monroe. He gently shakes his arm and Monroe wakes with a huff.

          “Didn’t sleep well?”

          “Not at all.”

          “Neither did I.”

          It’s awkward between them, neither one knows what to say. Neither one of them wants to bring up what happened, even though they both know they can’t avoid it. But they’ll sure as hell try to.

          “So, I got a call this morning.”

          Monroe lifts his head up and raises a questioning eyebrow. “Okay?”

          “I applied to go to this art conference thing for high school students about a month ago and they called this morning to let me know I’m invited to go.”

          “Cool.”

          “I’ll be gone from Thursday until Monday.”

          “Oh.”

          Nick’s disappointed that Monroe doesn’t have anything more to say, but he can’t really blame him. They sit in silence for the rest of their study hall; Monroe writes and Nick draws, as usual. When the bell rings, Monroe practically runs out of the library, trying to get as ahead of Nick as he can. He stops at his locker to trade his morning books for his afternoon ones. He looks down the hall and sees Nick standing at his own locker, rubbing at his face. Closing his locker, Nick rushes past Monroe, head down.

          Monroe’s aloof during his afternoon classes; mostly he just stares out the window. Running on autopilot, he makes it to his last class: literature. Without thinking, he sits in his regular seat, next to Nick. They don’t talk, just sit there, taking notes. Neither of them even say ‘goodbye’ when the final bell rings.

          As the week progresses, things get easier. They talk, they even laugh, but they don’t see each other outside of school. Nick spends his free time drawing – mostly sketches of Monroe – and getting ready for his weekend away. Monroe spends his free time writing and watching X-Files.

XXX

          Nick gets a call from his aunt Wednesday night. He tells her about his weekend; she sounds happy for him. She tells him she won’t be back for another week or so and that she’s wiring him some money. She never asks if he’s okay. He wouldn’t tell her anything even if she did.

          Oma comes back Thursday night; Monroe’s happy to see her. She can see through his painted-on smile. He brushes it off, claims a long day. He hides in his room until dinner, when they make stir fry.

          “You going to tell me what’s wrong, wölfchen?”

          Monroe steals a carrot and pouts a bit. “Oma, I really don’t want to talk about it.”

          “What could have gone so wrong in a week?”

          Monroe just sighs.

          “Ah, it’s matters of the heart, isn’t it?”

          He nods.

          “In a week? That’s a bit fast, don’t you think?”

          “Hadn’t done much thinking, to be honest…just a lot of feeling.”

          “Must be something special. Tell me about him.”

          Monroe smiles, a little sadly. “He’s an amazing artist. He painted the mural in the lobby, he…hold on.” Monroe disappears into his room and comes back about a minute later, handing Oma a piece of paper. “He drew this.”

          “Wow. He must really like you.”

          He shrugs, taking the paper when she hands it back.

          “Monroe, give it some time. You’re young, still discovering the world. Not everyone feels things as passionately as you do. He’ll come around.”

          “I hope so.”

 


	5. I Drew a Heart for You

Nick spends his weekend away drawing, painting, even doing a bit of sculpting. He also spends a lot of time thinking about Monroe. He goes to a seminar on drawing the human body and of course the model looks like Monroe. After the lecture, the students filter into another room, filled with lights and easels and more art supplies than Nick’s ever seen.

The model – the young man from the lecture – walks in wearing a robe. _Oh crap_ , Nick thinks. Normally, he wouldn’t mind, he’d have absolutely no problem. But _holy shit_ the guy looks like Monroe. _It’s going to be a long weekend_.

“Wow, that’s fantastic!” The instructor comments over Nick’s shoulder.

“Huh?” He was lost in a daze. “Oh, thanks.”

“I’m impressed. What’s your name?”

“Nick Burkhardt.”

“Well, Mr. Burkhardt, I think you should look into our scholarship. Winner gets full tuition to the art school of their choosing.”

“Wow.”

For a while Nick _almost_ forgets about Monroe, concentrating more on his sketch and the idea of actually getting that scholarship. He has no idea where he’d go, though. Afterwards, Nick waits for the room to empty and approaches the instructor’s desk.

“Ah, Mr. Burkhardt.”

“I was, uh, just wondering if maybe you had some more information about that scholarship.”

The instructor – Dr. Johnson – pulls an envelope out of one of his desk drawers and hands it to Nick. “Everything’s in there.” He takes notice of the unsure look on Nick’s face. “Something the matter?”

“It’s just…I wouldn’t even know where to go…”

“Were you not planning on going to an art school?”

“It’s not that. I guess I just never put much thought into what I’d do after high school…until this past week.”

He nods. “How long have you been drawing?”

“As long as I can remember. I even got to paint the mural in my school’s lobby.”

“Is that what made you start thinking about art school?”

“Actually, no. I kind of…met someone…he got me thinking about it.”

“Oh, I see.” He smiles.

Nick doesn’t really know why he’s being so open with a complete stranger. Although, Dr. Johnson does remind him of his dad.

“He actually looks a lot like the model we had today. Maybe that’s why this came out so well.” Nick holds up his sketch book.

They chat a bit more, about schools and art. Nick thinks this might be a good place for him. After about half an hour, Nick starts to head out.

“Mr. Burkhardt,” his instructor calls after him.

“Yeah?”

“Whatever you decide, just make sure you follow your dreams. If this guy can stand by you, if both your dreams can expand to include each other, then things will work out. Just don’t let go of your dreams.”

Nick smiles before heading back to his room. He spends his afternoon sketching and thinking. He thinks about what it might be like to live in some artsy town with Monroe, they’d have art hung all over a big loft apartment, mismatched thrift store furniture, Monroe would be sitting at his desk, hand scribbling words in a worn leather journal, while Nick stands at his easel. They’d have a cat – a brown one – named Remy.

He thinks about art school, if he really wants to go, if he could really leave his home. If he and Monroe couldn’t work things out, then he’d have no qualms about leaving. He feels so strongly for Monroe and he’s not sure he could leave him. It scares Nick just how strongly he feels for Monroe; everything happened so suddenly. He didn’t mean to push Monroe away, but he freaked out. _But what if we can make things work…?_ He wants to call him, but doesn’t know what to say.

He decides to head down to the on-campus art store and have a look around, to get his mind off things. He walks the aisles, picking up a few things here and there: a few pencils, a new eraser, a sketch book. He’s towards the back of the store when he comes across the journals. There’s a leather one that catches his eye. It’s dark-colored, made to look worn, with a bit of decoration on the spine. He adds it to his things.

XXX

          It’s an hour bus ride back home and Nick passes the time sketching – well, as best he can with all the bumps. He’s got a couple good sketches done by the time the bus pulls back into the station. He calls for a taxi and debates giving the driver Monroe’s address because he really wants to see him, but decides against it. He’d see him in school tomorrow. So he heads home.

          He’s surprised – but happy – as he walks down the hall towards his apartment. Monroe’s sitting on the floor, back against the wall, head resting on his knees. He doesn’t seem notice Nick.

          “Hey.”

          “Huh?” Monroe’s head pops up. “Oh. Hey. Good. You’re home.” He stands up, stretching – his shirt rises up a bit and Nick’s breath catches in his throat.

          “Uh, how long have you been here?” Nick asks as he unlocks the door and lets Monroe inside.

          “Oh, not long. Like…half an hour.” He lies. He’s been there for at least two hours.

          Nick sets down his bag and pulls out the journal he bought. “Here, I got this for you. I saw it in the art store and it made me think of you.”

          Monroe smiles, fingers tracing the spine. “Thanks. It’s great.”

          “I’m sure you’ll be writing the next great American novel in it.”

          Monroe just kind of smiles, his cheeks getting red.

          “You can sit down, ya know.”

          “Oh, right.” He sits on the opposite end of the sofa.

          “We should talk, shouldn’t we?”

          Monroe nods.

          “Well, let me tell you about my weekend first.” He pauses for a beat. “I never stopped thinking about you. We had a model, he looked just like you, and of course he was our _nude_ model. Then I was even talking to the professor about you and I thought I’d go to the art store but then I saw the journal and _ugh_.” He punches the sofa cushion then turns to look at Monroe. “Damn it…I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to push you away. I just…got scared…that you might be too good to be true. Things happened so fast, my head just started spinning. I really wanted to kiss you…I still do.”

          “I didn’t really think about what we were doing. I just…felt. I let my feelings and my heart control what I was doing. I didn’t let my brain get a word in. Sometimes I forget that not everyone feels things as passionately as I do.” He fiddles with the sleeves of his flannel. “I guess I just got caught up in the moment.”

          Nick’s watching Monroe, every little move, his lips, his hands; he waits for the right time. Monroe finally stops playing with his flannel and turns to look at Nick. Nick practically lunges across the sofa, throwing himself at Monroe, and pressing their lips together in a hungry kiss. He tangles his fingers in the back of Monroe’s hair. Nick parts his lips, letting Monroe’s tongue explore and dance around with his own. Monroe’s hands wrap around Nick’s waist and pull him a little closer. His hands wiggle under Nick’s shirt, resting on warm skin.

          They pull away, lips swollen and faces flushed. Nick’s hands move to cup Monroe’s jaw and he traces his bottom lip with his thumb. Monroe’s hands are still on Nick’s back, but now he’s tracing light little circles with his fingers.

Nick’s lips curl into a smile. “I really wish we’d have done that last week.

Monroe nods. “Me too.”

          “So…”

          “Hmm?”

          “Monroe, do you…want to be…my boyfriend?”

          “Well, yeah, of course.” Monroe gives him a quick kiss.


	6. I'll Stand by You...Even in the Kitchen

Nick plops down next to Monroe on the sofa, huge grin plastered on his face.

          “What?” Monroe asks, suspicious.

          “So, I got us an invitation to a party this weekend.”

          “A party?”

          “Yeah, for Halloween.”

          “We have to dress up?”

          “Well, yeah.”

          “You wanna match?”

          “Of course.”

          “Ugh.”

“Oh come on, Monroe!”

          “Who invited you?”

          “Juliette invited _us_.” He leans up against Monroe, resting his head on his boyfriends shoulder. “Trust me, you’ll wanna go when you see our costumes.”

          “Mhm.”

          “Just go look. They’re on my bed.”

          Monroe rolls his eyes but gets up and walks into Nick’s room. He smiles and shakes his head.

          “If you don’t like them, I can just take them back…”

          “Don’t you dare.” Monroe pauses. “Unless you want me to be Robin.”

          Nick rolls his eyes, teasing. “You’ll obviously be Batman, don’t worry.”

          “Alright then, you ready for a cooking lesson?”

          “Uhh…”

          “Good! Let’s go, I’m starving!”

XXX

          “Maybe I’m just not cut out for cooking,” Nick mumbles around a bite of pizza.

          “Maybe we need to start you off with some kid-friendly recipes or something.” Monroe chuckles.

          “That’s not funny, Monroe.”

          “Oh, come on…it’s a little funny!”

          Nick glares at him. “You know what else is funny? You sleeping alone in your own bed tonight!”

          “Fine. I’m sorry.”

          “Hmph.” Nick goes back to eating his pizza.

          “But really, next time we’ll try something a bit easier.”

          Nick just shrugs and turns his attention to the television.

          “Hey, uh, can I ask you something?”

          “Yeah, course.”

          “Well, there’s this contest I heard about, from one of my teachers. It’s to write and illustrate a kids’ book. I was thinking maybe you and I could team up; I could write, you could draw. There’s a cash prize. Figure we could split the money.”

          “Umm…” Nick nods. “Yeah, let’s do it!”

XXX

          Monroe and Nick spend their study hall and their free time (after they’ve finished their homework, of course) working on their children’s story. With each page, Nick’s surprised at Monroe’s writing. Even a children’s book is captivating him. And with each illustration, Nick impresses Monroe. Monroe actually considers what it would be like to spend the rest of his life doing this with Nick, but with a shake of the head he pushes that thought aside.

          Sometimes when they’re working together, Nick breaks just so he can watch Monroe. He gets into such a groove, gets totally engulfed in his work. Nick likes it. He could watch Monroe all day.

          Monroe finally realizes he’s being watched. “What’re you doing?”

          “Huh? Oh…just, uh, watching you.”

          “Why?”

          Nick shrugs.

          “So that party’s tomorrow night.”

          “Mhm. You still want to go?”

          “Yeah. Actually looking forward to it.”

          “Really?”

          “Yeah. Found out a couple friends of mine are going.”

          “You’ll introduce me?”

          “Course, why not?”

          “I don’t know, you haven’t yet.”

          “It’s only been a month. Besides, I haven’t met your friends yet, either…well, besides Juliette.”

          “It’s only really her and Hank. You’ll meet Hank tomorrow.” Nick pauses, thinking. “Can I introduce you as my boyfriend?”

          “I would hope so.”

          “I just…I don’t know…didn’t know if you told anyone.”

          “Couple friends know. Oma knows.” He closes his notebook and gives all his attention to Nick. “Something wrong?”

          Nick shakes his head. “Nope.” He kisses Monroe's cheek and gets up. “You hungry?” He walks into the kitchen.

          Monroe scrunches up his face as he gets up and follows Nick into the kitchen. “You sure you’re okay, man? You seem…I don’t know…odd.”

          “Promise you won’t get mad?”

          “Umm…okay,” he said, somewhat tenuously.

          “I haven’t told anyone we’re dating. Well, except Juliette…actually, she just kind of guessed.”

          “You haven’t told anyone?” For a moment Monroe feels really self-conscious.

          “Only because I don’t really have anyone to tell.”

          Monroe gives him a sad smile and wraps his arms around his waist. Nick leans into Monroe’s touch and lets out a long sigh. Monroe presses a kiss to his boyfriend’s temple and just holds him. Nick mumbles, his voice getting caught in Monroe’s shirt; it sounds something like _glad I met you_ and _please don’t leave me_.

          They don’t really say much while making dinner. They’ve found one thing Nick is good at making: grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup. They eat while watching X-Files as usual, and still don’t really speak. Monroe doesn’t know what to say and Nick just doesn’t want to talk.

          Nick silently begs Monroe to spend the night, he just flashes him those big, sad puppy-dog eyes. Monroe can’t say no, doesn’t want to say no. He’s already here, his bag is here, he planned on staying anyway – Nick had invited him to stay over already. Deep down Monroe knows Nick wasn’t just asking for him to stay the night; Nick was asking him to stay _for_ _good_.

          They crawl into bed and Monroe pulls Nick close; Nick tucks himself close to Monroe’s chest, arms around his waist, practically holding on. Monroe pulls the blankets up and tucks them around Nick’s shoulders. They lay there for a while, just simply being together. Monroe can hear Nick’s breaths evening out; he’s falling asleep.

          Monroe whispers, “I’m here…and I’m not going anywhere…ever.”

 


	7. Batman and Robin

Monroe’s the first to wake up, with a still-sleeping Nick practically on top of him – head on his chest, arm around his middle, one leg over his. Monroe smiles and runs his fingers through Nick’s hair. He checks the clock; it’s just after seven. He thinks about how nice this is. The quietness of the early morning; the only sounds are Nick’s breathing and the light tap of rain. But it was more than that.

          Monroe starts thinking about his future, a future he wants to have with Nick. At eighteen, most teenagers are thinking about college or road trips, maybe work. Finding their soul mate and settling down is generally pretty far off for them. But the more Monroe thinks, the more he realizes that anything he wants to do, he wants Nick to be a part of it. _Maybe I’m crazy_.

          Nick wakes up slowly, blinking a few times, trying to get his eyes to focus. He’s still wrapped in Monroe’s arms and that makes him happy. He snuggles a bit closer and presses a kiss to his boyfriend’s jaw. He has no desire to get up, no desire to part from Monroe.

          “Morning, sleeping beauty.”

          Nick rolls his eyes but still smiles. “Morning.”

          “You sleep okay?”

          “Yeah, actually.” He pauses. “Hey, uh, about last night…I’m sorry.”

          “For what?”

          “I don’t know…being so weird.”

          “No apologies necessary.”

          “But, Monroe…”

          “Seriously. You’ve got nothing to be sorry for.” He kisses Nick’s forehead. “Now, you up for attempting some pancakes?”

          Nick sighs, laying his head back down on Monroe’s chest. “Maybe later.”

          Monroe smiles. “I’m determined to teach you how to cook!” But he lets it go for now. He closes his eyes and drifts back to sleep, his arms never unwrapping from around Nick.

XXX

          “Damn!”

          “You okay in there?” Monroe asks, leaning against the bathroom door.

          “Ugh…these tights are…tight.” Nick calls from behind the door.

          “Well, I guess they’re holding true to their name.” Monroe chuckles.

          “Monroe! It’s not funny!”

          “BATMAN! I’m Batman tonight!” He gives his cape a little swoosh even though he knows Nick can’t see it.

          “I don’t want to be Robin anymore.”

          “Well, you can’t be Batman. I’m Batman.” Another cape swoosh. “Come on, man. Come out here. It can’t be that bad.”

          “It is. I look ridiculous.”

          “Hey, this was all your idea.”

          Nick sighs and reaches for the doorknob. He greets Monroe with a pout. Monroe smiles; he has no idea what Nick’s problem is.

          “What’s wrong?”

          “I look…ugh.” He’s got his caped wrapped around him.

          “You look great!” Monroe tugs at the cape.

          Nick just pouts.

          Monroe steps closer, wrapping his arms around his boyfriend’s waist. Nick lets the cape drop when his lips are captured by Monroe’s and he’s backed against the wall. He pushes his hips forward, looking for a little friction – easily granted by the thin fabric of their costumes.

          “Feeling better?” Monroe asks, his lips movie from Nick’s to his neck.

          “Mhm,” is all Nick can manage.

          “Good. Can we go now? I want to brag to everyone that the hot guy in the Robin costume is my boyfriend.”

XXX

          Juliette finds the dynamic duo almost as soon as they walk in. She’s wearing a Cleopatra costume and Nick wonders if she had a Pharaoh with her. She smiles at Monroe, greeting him warmly.

          “You two look great!” She grins, running a hand over Nick’s cape.

          “See?” Monroe pokes his shoulder.

          Juliette furrows her brows and looks up at Monroe.

          “He didn’t think he looked good.” Monroe answers.

          “What?” Her eyes grows wide.

          Nick rolls his eyes. “So, Miss Cleo, did you bring a Pharaoh?”

          “As a matter of fact I did and here he comes.”

          Nick and Monroe both eye-up the guy walking over. He’s tall, lean, holds himself in an almost-regal way. He’s got short dark hair and bright – almost glowing – green eyes. He’s bare-chested – which made both Monroe and Nick more than a little self-conscious – wearing a typical Pharaoh costume, except it looked like it cost about ten times more than Nick’s and Monroe’s put together. He smiled at them and wrapped a muscled arm around Juliette’s shoulders.

          “Guys, this is Sean.”

          “Hey.” His voice is deep and smooth. “You must be Nick, Juliette’s told me about you.”

          “Yeah, that’s me. This is my boyfriend, Monroe.”

          Monroe just flashed an uncomfortable smile. There was something about this guy that Monroe just didn’t like. It’s awkward between the group, Nick unsure of what to say to Sean.

          “Well, uh, I’m gonna go find Hank. I wanna introduce him to Monroe. We’ll see you two…later…” Nick tugs Monroe arm and they slowly walk away. When they’re out of earshot, Nick verbalizes his feelings. “I don’t like him. There’s something _off_ about him. I can’t quite put my finger on it.”

          “Agreed. He was…I don’t know. But there’s something up with him. I think you should keep an eye out for Juliette.”

          “Yeah…” His voice trails off as he scans the crowd, trying to find Hank and forget about Sean.

          “Nick!” Nick turned his head in the direction from which his name was called.

          “Hank! Hey man!”

          He looks at Monroe. “I’m Hank.” He extends a hand, which Monroe happily shakes.

          “Monroe.”

          “My boyfriend.”

          Hank smiles. _About time_. “It’s nice to meet you.”

          Hank and Monroe chat while Nick just grins, glad they’re getting along. He slips his hand in Monroe’s, lacing their fingers together. Eventually he jumps into the conversation, talking about the art conference and their book. Soon they part and Monroe tugs Nick along, in search of some of his own friends. He wasn’t joking about wanting to brag about Nick.

          Monroe sneaks up behind a girl and gives her braid a light pull. “Hey!”

          “Damn it, Monroe!” She rubs the back of her head and fiddles with her hair.

          “Oh please.” He rolls his eyes.

          Her attention shifts to Nick. “This must be Nick.” She smiles at him. “I’m Rosalee. It’s nice to finally meet you. Monroe never stops talking about you.”

          “R-really?” A light blush creeps to his cheeks. “It’s nice to meet you, too. Awesome costume. You make a great Lara Croft.”

          She smiles. “Thanks! Monroe, you better not mess this up. This one’s a keeper!”

          “Mhm…and the mummy stuffing his face over there is Hap.”

          The other guy – Hap – turns around, most likely at hearing his name. He strolls over, a brownie in one hand and punch in the other. Nick wonders if _Hap_ is a nickname, maybe short for Happy. He seems to be one of those people with a generally sunny disposition.

          “Hey, dudes.” He says around a mouth of food.

          “Hap, this is Nick.”

          “The boyfriend!” He gives Nick a friendly nudge to the arm. “My man Monroe never shuts up about you. It’s like I already know you.” He chuckles.

          Nick smiles. He likes Monroe’s friends. They’re an odd bunch, but he really does like them.

          “Hey, losers. Monroe.” A redhead in a too-revealing devil costume walks over, her hand finding its way to the small of Monroe’s back.

          Monroe steps away from her touch, wrapping an arm around Nick. He glares at the girl and doesn’t say anything.

          “Don’t tell me you’ve switched teams, Monroe.” She practically snarls at Nick.

          “This is my sister, Angelina.” Hap adds, somehow unaware of the tension.

          “Nick and I have to get going. Hap, I’ll see you later. Rosie, call me?”

          The tomb raider nods and Hap smiles. Angelina looks like she wants to bite Nick’s head off.

          “It was nice meeting you two.” Nick says, giving a small departing wave.

          Monroe practically drags his boyfriend away. If Nick wasn’t mistaken, Monroe may be growling. He stops, stepping in front of Monroe.

          “Hey, what’s wrong?”

          “Nothing. Can we just go? Or…hang out with your friends.”

          He runs a hand up and down Monroe’s side, frowns, and leads him outside. “Rosalee and Hap are nice.”

          “Yeah.”

          “You and Hank got along well.”

          “Yeah.”

          “Monroe…”

          “What?”

          Nick’s eyes widen at the harsh tone in Monroe’s voice.

          “Sorry. It’s just…”

          “You and Angelina used to date, didn’t you?”

          “Yeah.”

          “And it didn’t end well?”

          “Not in the slightest.”

          He leans against Monroe’s side and presses a kiss to his shoulder.

          “She and I dated before…well…I knew…” He gestures between himself and Nick.

          Nick shrugs. “It’s fine. You don’t need to explain anything. I’ve dated a couple girls, too.”

          Monroe doesn’t say anything.

          “You wanna go home.”

          Monroe nods. “Yeah.”

 


	8. You Used to Wear Glasses, Didn't You?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sexual Content!

“Oh man, it feels nice to get those tights off.” Nick flops on the bed next to Monroe.

          Monroe turns onto his side, propping himself up on his elbow. He leans forward and kisses Nick. His elbow is quick to get sore from the position and he leans back, pulling Nick with him. It takes all of about two seconds for Nick to straddle his boyfriend. Monroe parts his lips and Nick deepens the kiss, their tongues dancing together. Monroe’s hands settle on Nick’s thighs, inching higher and higher. Nick pulls away panting, head hung low, lips brushing Monroe’s.

          “Damn, Monroe…” Nick pants out.

          Monroe leans up, trying to capture Nick’s lips again, but Nick turns his head.

          “Can I catch my breath, man?”

          Monroe settles back down and sighs. “Yeah, sorry.”

          “You okay?”

          He plays with the hem of Nick’s shirt, not trying anything, just sort of doing it subconsciously. He’s quiet for a while, trying to get his thoughts in order. Nick starts to get antsy and breaks the silence.

          “This has something to do with Angelina, doesn’t it?”

          Monroe nods.

          “You still…have _feelings_ for her?”

          “No.” He scrunches up his face and wiggles into a sort of sitting position, Nick still straddling his lap. “Not at all.”

          “Okay. If you don’t want to talk that’s fine.” Monroe picks up on the defeated tone in Nick’s voice.

          “I guess I just still feel…guilty.”

          “Guilty?”

          “I never actually wanted to go out with her. I was like…thirteen or fourteen…her parents were really good friends with mine. They kinda pressured me into it. She was always all over me. I hated it. I wanted nothing to do with her.”

          “She didn’t take rejection well?”

          “Not in the slightest. She lashed out. It was horrible.” He lifts up the hem of his shirt, revealing a few long scars – obviously from her nails. “She practically attacked me.”

          Nick runs a light hand over the marks and presses a kiss to Monroe’s forehead. He’s doing his best to quell the anger starting to bubble up inside him.

          Monroe’s voice softens. “I don’t want to talk about it anymore.”

          Nick nods. “Okay.”

          “You sat at the table next to mine last year.”

          “What?”

          “You were so close, I could’ve reached out and touched you.” He pauses. “Maybe that makes me weird, but…you just always really caught my eye; the way you smiled, the way you laughed.” He looks up at Nick with a heavy-lidded gaze. One hand wanders up Nick’s chest, over his shoulder, and cups his cheek, thumb running over his bottom lip. “When I saw you at your locker, holding your broken watch, I thought _there’s my chance_.”

          “Did you…you used to wear glasses, didn’t you?”

          “Yeah, how did…oh…”

          Nick leans forward and kisses Monroe with desire that’s been pent up for far too long. Nick had no idea that that guy he’d hopelessly admired from afar last year had noticed him too. And not just noticed him, but shared the same feelings.

          Nick deepens the kiss but it’s not enough. His hips grind down against Monroe’s; he just wants to be closer, as close as he can get. His hands tug at the hem of his boyfriend’s shirt, silently begging him to shed the pesky fabric. Monroe gets the hint, raising his arms and letting Nick rid him of the shirt.

          Nick runs his hands over Monroe’s bare chest and litters kisses over his neck, shoulders, and collarbones. He’s panting just as hard as Monroe is, getting caught up in kissing, touching, exploring.

          Monroe pushes at Nick’s shirt, trying to sneak his hands underneath. “Off.” His voice is low.

          Nick nods somewhat erratically as he pulls his shirt over his head. A blush creeps to his cheeks as he gets a little self-conscious. But with the way Monroe’s hands and lips cover his body, that feeling quickly disappears. He slips his fingers beneath the waist of Monroe’s pants, once again begging for the removal of unnecessary clothing.

          Monroe flips them so they’re lying down and he’s leaning over Nick. He’s got one leg slipped between Nick’s; his thigh pressing against Nick’s groin. Nick lets out a little moan, his hands grabbing at Monroe, trying to pull him closer. He just can’t seem to get close enough. The pair move their hips, craving some friction, some pleasure, some release. Monroe tugs at his boyfriend’s pants. Nick lifts his hips, letting Monroe pull them off. He smiles watching Monroe shimmy out of his own pants and toss the offending garment to the floor.

          It’s all skin on skin now, white hot, burning. Monroe runs a light hand up and down Nick’s side, moving lower each time. He’s testing the waters, seeing how much Nick will allow. His fingers brush over Nick’s hip, then down his thigh. His hand sweeps back up, over Nick’s stomach, his chest. Then he moves down, farther, lower. Nick moans and his hips buck up.

          “This okay?” Monroe asks, his voice a whisper.

          “Mhm,” Nick nods.

          Nick’s skin is becoming tacky with sweat and his breathing is getting faster. Monroe pays attention to every moan and each little gasp. His hands familiarize themselves with Nick’s body. Nick lets his hands roam; over Monroe’s shoulders, down his arms, over his chest, down his torso. His arms finally settle around his lover’s shoulders, helping to pull him close for kissing.

          Monroe’s fingers wrap around Nick’s hardening length. At first, he’s not really sure what to do, he moves the way he likes, what he’d do if he were touching himself. He pays close attention to Nick’s reactions, repeating movements that make him moan. Monroe bites at his bottom lip watching Nick writhe and tremble. He kisses down his boyfriend’s body and replaces his hand with his mouth.

          “Nngh,” Nick moans as his eyes practically roll back.

          Monroe’s head pops up, his eyes wide with concern.

“Monroe, don’t stop! Please…don’t stop.”

Monroe takes Nick’s cock back in his mouth, swirling his tongue around the head – something he read about, anticipating this very moment. When he looks up, Nick’s hands are fisted in the sheets. He pulls off with a pop – taking a second to breathe – and goes back to using his hand. He presses his thumb at the sensitive part where head meets shaft – it’s something he really likes and if the sounds pouring out of Nick’s mouth are any indication, he likes it too. He works his mouth and hand in unison. His ears perk up hearing Nick swear under his breath. He can feel Nick’s thighs tensing; he’s close.

“M-Monroe…I’m gonna…”

Monroe’s got about ten seconds to decide what to do. Nervous, he pulls away, his hand still moving. He shifts so that he’s next to Nick, kissing his neck. It only takes a few more strokes and Nick’s coming on Monroe’s hand. Monroe works him through it, lips never leaving him. Nick’s trembling and clinging to Monroe. He pants, trying hard to catch his breath.

When Nick finally comes back down, he goes back to kissing Monroe. He can’t get enough. He pushes Monroe back and straddles his lap. He tangles his fingers in his lover’s hair and nips at the sensitive spot right below his jaw – he’d found that spot about a week ago. He makes his way down Monroe’s body, kissing here, nipping there.

“You don’t have to…it’s okay.”

Nick shakes his head, lips just barely brushing over Monroe’s chest. “I _want_ to.” He bites his bottom lip and looks up at Monroe, eyes still wide with lust.

Monroe lays his head back, and already fists his hands in the sheets. _Oh_ , Nick’s mouth feels electric all over his body. He already knows he won’t last very long, he’d done a bit of palming himself when he was sucking off Nick; he’d gotten pretty worked up. He moans when the wet heat of Nick’s mouth meets his erection.

Briefly he wonders where Nick learned some of those moves, the way he moves his tongue like _that_. Monroe can’t help but buck his hips, but Nick takes it. He moans around Monroe’s dick; he’s enjoying it. It feels like time has stopped, like it’s just him and Nick, nothing else.

“Nick…” Monroe can barely manage to speak.

Nick understands. He speeds up his movements, adding a little more oomph. Monroe’s so close and Nick’s mouth is still working. _He’s not…He’s gonna…Oh…_ When Monroe realizes that Nick has no intentions to pull away, he loses it. He comes with a long, harsh moan. Nick works him through it, rubbing his trembling thighs, licking him clean.

He settles down next to Monroe, curling up against his side, laying his head on his shoulder. Nick reaches for the blanket, covering both of them up. They snuggle together all night, stealing kisses here and there, eventually falling asleep.

 


	9. Meet the Oma

Nick’s the first to wake up; he’s snuggled up to Monroe’s back. He sneaks away, doing his best not to wake his bedmate. Slipping into the bathroom, he passes the mirror and notices that there’s a smile on his face. That makes him smile more. He lets out a happy sigh and goes about doing a bit of his morning routine.

          When he steps out of the shower he realizes he forgot to grab clothes. _Oh well, he’s already seen me naked._ He pads back into his bedroom, towel wrapped around his waist and raven-colored hair plastered to his forehead. He drops the towel and searches for some clothes.

          “Nice ass,” Monroe says in a sleep voice.

          “Jesus, Monroe.” Nick’s heart practically jumps out of his chest.

          Monroe grins and Nick rolls his eyes. He pulls on a pair of boxer briefs then a pair of dark-wash jeans. He skips a shirt – for now – and flops down next to Monroe. They both smile as Nick steals a good-morning kiss.

          “So…” Nick starts, letting his voice trail off.

          “About last night…I’m _really_ happy.”

          Nick smiles and pecks Monroe’s cheek. “Me too.”

XXX

          Nick’s tapping his fingers on the counter as Monroe pulls the fries out of the oven. “Dude, I’m nervous.”

          “It’s not a big deal. Oma’s gonna love you.”

          “But what if she doesn’t?” He swivels in the stool a bit.

          “How could anyone not?”

          Nick’s cheeks redden. “Monroe, I’m serious.”

          “So am I.” He sets the pan down and stands in front of Nick, his hands wrapping around his boyfriend’s waist. “I love you.”

          Nick’s eyes grow wide. It’s something he hasn’t heard much since his parents died. He’d heard Marie say it maybe three times in the last few years. He throws himself forward, wraps his arms around Monroe, and kisses him like there’s no tomorrow. They pull away, both out of breath.

          “I love you, too.”

          Both their heads jerk to the side – almost giving them whiplash – when they hear sniffling coming from over by the door. They hadn’t even realized that Monroe’s Oma had come in.

          “You must be Nicholas, the boy keeping my Monroe so happy.”

          Nick’s cheeks get even redder. “Hi. I’m Nick.” He holds out his hand and Oma gives it a shake.

          “It’s nice to meet you. You can call me Oma.”

          “It’s nice to meet you, too…Oma.”

          “What’re you two cooking?”

          “Veggie burgers and sweet potato fries.”

          The three of them sit down for dinner and of course Oma grills Nick a bit, getting to know him. She asks him about his family, his interests, school, his goals. When he tells her about his parents and his aunt, she invites him to stay whenever he’d like – _but the door stays open!_ Nick finds he really likes listening to Oma talk about growing up in Germany.

          After dinner, Monroe and Nick tell Oma about the book and the contest. She beams with pride for them. They also talk about applying to university – they’re both set on Portland State University. She approves – _that’s a wonderful school_.

          “Here,” Oma starts as she hands Monroe a ten. “Go get yourselves some ice cream.

          “Thank you.” Nick smiles as he’s dragged out the door.

          “See? That wasn’t so bad.”

          “I like her.”

          The duo walk down the sidewalk, block after block, to the ice cream truck – the good one, the one with strawberry good humor bars. They walk across the street to the park and find a bench. The two laugh as they watch a babysitter chase around a little kid.

          “You want kids?”

          Monroe shakes his head. “Not really. No.”

          “Neither do I. Wanna get married?”

          “Now?”

          Nick laughs. “Nah. I just mean…in general.”

          “Oh. I don’t know. Maybe.”

          Nick nods.

          “What’s your favorite color?”

          “Red. Yours?”

          “Green. Favorite movie?”

          “Rear Window.”

          Nick smiles. “You like the classics?”

          “Yep.”

          “Books. You rather buy them new or used?”

          “Used. They’re cheaper. Plus, they’ve got a whole other story, besides the one on the pages.”

          Nick nods, his lips curled into a smile.

          “So when am I gonna get to meet your mysterious Aunt Marie?”

          Nick shrugs. “She should be coming home tomorrow.  You can come over if you want.”

          “You don’t seem too keen on my meeting her.”

          He sighs. “It’s not you, I promise. It’s just…Oma’s fantastic. She’s warm and kind, I felt it instantly. Marie is…just not.”

          Monroe grabs Nick’s hand, lacing their fingers together. “Am I gonna run for the hills?”

          Nick lets out a light chuckle. “Yeah, most likely.”

XXX

          “Nick, will you calm down.” Tired of watching Nick pace the living room, Monroe gets up, grabs his boyfriend, and pulls him down on the sofa. “You need to calm down!”

          Nick glares. “But Mon –”

          “No! You’re gonna sit here on the sofa with me. Then, when your aunt gets home, you’re going to introduce me. I have no idea why you’re so worked up, but it’s going to be fine.”

          “Fine.” Nick sighs.

          “Seriously, though, why are you so nervous?”

          “She’s not going to like you.”

          “What? Why? I’m awesome!”

          “Monroe, come on…”

          “Okay, maybe not _awesome_ …but I’m not some creep.”

          “Doesn’t matter. You could find the cure for cancer and she won’t like you.”

          “I think you’re being a little overdramatic.”

          “No I’m not.”

          “Give me one good reason she won’t like me.”

          “You’re not a chick.”

          “Whoa. What?”

          “She won’t like you because you’re a guy.”

          “Does she not… _know_?”

          “Oh, she knows…she just doesn’t like it.”

          Monroe grabs Nick’s hand. “Do you want me to leave.”

          Nick nods.

          “Okay.” Monroe’s voice is soft. He kisses Nick’s cheek. “Call me later.”

 


	10. On Our Own

Oma’s sitting in the recliner staring at the boys, waiting not-so-patiently for them to open their letters from Portland State University. Both boys are practically shaking from nervousness. They’re sitting close, Nick is almost in Monroe’s lap.

          “What if I didn’t get in?”

          “Dude, I saw you’re portfolio. It was fantastic!”

          “Oh, Nicholas, I’m sure you’ve gotten in.”

          Nick smiles. “Thanks, Oma.”

          “Alright, will the two of you just open your letters?”

          Nick and Monroe smile nervous smiles at each other before tearing the envelopes and pulling out the contents.

          “I got in!”

          “So did I!”

          Nick pounces on Monroe, giving him playful little slaps. They hug and kiss and both pull Oma into a group hug. Oma goes on about how proud she is – of _both_ of them. She’s come to be quite fond of Nick, who’s been spending a lot more time in their home.

          Nick pauses, then turns to Monroe. “You’re gonna be my roommate, right?”

          Monroe gives him a little shove. “Of course.”

XXX

          “So, Marie, I got into Portland State.”

          “Oh, that’s nice,” she says around a bit of food.

          “So did Monroe. We’re gonna room together.”

          “Who?”

          “Monroe. I told you about him.”

          “Hmm, yes…you’re _phase_.”

          Nick slams his fists on the table, the plates shaking. “Damn it, Marie!”

          “Nicholas Reed Burkhardt, you watch your mouth!”

          “No. It’s not some phase, neither is Monroe. I love him, okay? You remember what love feels like? In a week, Monroe and I are going off to college and you know what? I’m not coming back here. Monroe makes me happy. End of story.” He gets up from the table and storms out the door.

          She doesn’t get up and try to stop him. He walks straight to Monroe’s house – letting himself in with the key Oma gave him – and flops down on the sofa. He looks around and realizes that Monroe’s not home and then notices Oma staring at him.

          “Where’s Monroe?”

          “He’s out with Rosalee at the book store. You okay, sweetie?”

          Nick shakes his head and Oma gets up and sits next to him.

          “What’s the matter?”

          “How did you feel when Monroe first told you we were dating?”

          “Glad that he found someone that makes him happy.”

          “What about when he first told you – ”

          “Nick, what’s going on?”

          “Marie thinks it’s some kind of phase…that Monroe’s a phase.”

          “She doesn’t accept you two?”

          “Not just him. She doesn’t accept me.”

          “Maybe she thinks you’re too young?”

          Nick shakes his head. “She’s made it very clear how she feels about things.”

          “Oh, honey, come here.” Oma pulls him into a big hug.

          She feels like family to Nick.

          “As long as you’re happy, that’s what matters. If you and Monroe are happy together, then I’m happy for you. It’s so rare to find someone you truly love and care for – a soulmate, if you will. I really believe the two of you are soulmates. I’m sorry if she doesn’t see it or doesn’t like it. Family shouldn’t make you feel that way.”

          “You’re more family to me that anyone else’s been in a long time. You and Monroe, both. Thank you, Oma.”

          “You’re more than welcome, bärchen.”

          “Uh, hey.” Monroe approaches the sofa.

          Nick silently gets up and throws his arms around Monroe.

          “I think I’ll just let the two of you talk.” Oma disappears into her room.

          “What’s wrong?”

          Nick pulls away, grabbing Monroe’s hand and pulling him into the bedroom. He kicks off his shoes and crawls into bed. Monroe lies down and curls his body around him; he can tell Nick’s upset, but won’t ask. He’ll talk when he wants to.

          “Monroe,” Nick whispers.

          “Hmm?” Monroe turns so he’s facing Nick, keeping his arms wrapped tightly around him.

          “I just really love you, okay.”

          “I love you, too.” He kisses his boyfriend’s forehead.

          “Marie thinks you’re a phase.”

          He furrows his brow. “What?”

          “I told you, she doesn’t like it.”

          “Hey, come on. In a few days, it’s just you and me. We’re free.”

          “You and me.” Nick curls closer to Monroe, closes his eyes, and lets himself drift asleep.

XXX

          “Nick, you can’t put the sofa there. It’s a fire hazard.”

          “But it looks nice!”

          Monroe sighs and rolls his eyes. “Fine. But if I trip over it more than once, we’re moving it.”

          “Sounds good.” Nick leans up against his boyfriend, giving his cheek a smooch. “That thing tickles, ya know.”

          “Hey, there will be no hating on the beard. Lots of college guys grow beards.”

          Nick does this weird sort of grin, trying to contain his giggles, and just walks away. He comes back with a box of books. “Here, help me put these away.”

          “So, what do you wanna do our first night in our new apartment?”

          Nick raises an eyebrow. “You really have to ask?”

          Monroe cheeks get a little red. “It’s like you can read my mind.” He adds a few books to the shelf. “Oh, so I was thinking…”

          “Yeah?”

          “Since the landlord said we can have a cat…well…” He pulls a photo of a little brown kitten from his pocket and hands it to Nick. “I was thinking we could call her Remy.”

 


End file.
